MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte will lead the ceremonial signing of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) on August 6, his top aide said Monday.
Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go confirmed in a message to reporters that a ceremony will be held in Malacañang, but did not give further details.
In an earlier Palace briefing, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Chief Executive was not really fond of holding ceremonies but he personally felt that the BOL deserves one.
“Alam ninyo si Presidente talaga, hindi mahilig sa seremonya (You know the President, he’s not really fond of holding ceremonies),” Roque said.
“I would personally want to see a ceremony and I would like to invite all the stakeholders. But it’s not my decision. So, I’ll find today what that decision of the President will be. But, I think we deserve one,” he added.
Roque said if the administration of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III held a ceremony for the signing of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) despite it not being passed by Congress, the Duterte administration’s BOL certainly deserves a ceremony as well.
“You could imagine what the ceremony that the previous administration had on the BBL that was not passed. Ito BOL na napasa (This BOL was passed),” Roque said.
The BOL, which seeks to establish a new Bangsamoro political entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), is expected to pave the way for lasting peace in Mindanao. (Azer Parrocha/PNA)
